Glitter Shoes

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When I saw the moodboard for this month’s issue I got SO excited (probably way more than any normal person would), because I knew that the theme, with all its glam-rock glittery goodness, would give me an excuse to do a DIY I’ve always wanted to try: glitter shoes!

They’re a lot easier to make than you’d expect. All you need is a pair of shoes, some glitter, and a jar of Mod Podge. This would be a great project for getting some use out of that one pair of shoes that you own that you love the style of, but hate the color or fabric they’re covered in (I think we all have at least one pair of these).

For this DIY you’re gonna need the following:

A pair of shoes (platforms and clunky boots would look extra cool with tons of glitter piled on them!).

Glitter! And lots of it. Keep in mind that different types of glitter will give different effects. Fine glitter tends to cover more area and become opaque in fewer layers, whereas slightly chunky glitter (like the stuff I used) takes more layers and effort to get to an almost opaque glitteriness.

Two paint brushes you don’t mind mucking up (one large and one small).

Masking tape.

What to do:

Step One:

The first thing you need to do is stick masking tape in all the places you don’t want glitter to go on. You might be tempted to skip this step (I was) but it’s really important that you do the whole taping process, otherwise you might get Mod Podge inside the shoe or on the heel, and this stuff can be impossible to remove once it’s dry. If you end up wanting glitter on the heels (for a Miu Miu-esque look) then you can skip taping that part—just make sure you stick tape around the inside of the shoe and on the soles!

Step Two:

Now that our shoes are all taped up we can begin the glittering process.

Pour some glitter and Mod Podge into a disposable container of some sort. I don’t have exact measurements for this step, but aim for about half and half. The mixture should have a slightly runny consistency, not clumpy or thick.

Steps Three Through Six or Seven or Eight or Twelve:

Take the glitter and glue mixture and spread it over the entire shoe in thin, even strokes. Be sure to let each layer dry thoroughly before adding the next, otherwise you might end up with misty/cloudy spots or clumpy parts .Wait about an hour (yeah, seriously—it’s worth it, I promise) between coats.

They’re not gonna look like anything special after the first coat, but they’ll look super rad later, I promise! Just continue adding layers of the glitter and glue mix.

I ended up needing about seven coats to get my shoes to a nice semi-opaque glitteriness. The number of layers you’ll need really depends on what type of glitter you’re using and how much area you’re trying to cover.

At this point you might notice that there are some parts where the original shoe color is still peeking through or spots that the glitter just won’t stick to. To fix those spots just take a small paintbrush and paint on some more glitter, concentrating on the areas that need a little more sparkle.

I’ve done this recently with a pair of heels. Although I just used glitter glue, and smoothed it out with my finger. It took about three coats and about three hours’ drying time in between coats however now they are sparkly and lovely! Yaaay glitter :)

This is epic! I’m rummaging through all my old shoes and now I have something to do on a tomorrow night, haha. Michaels here I come… though I don’t know if I should get black or red glitter!? gahhh!! Thank heavens for Modpodge and Marlene.

for some reason i really like the tape on the heels. anyways yeah i am definitely going to do this to my semi-retired combat boots that started gathering dust when i found a cooler pair for $20 at goodwill. needs a revamping, almost will be like a new pair of shoes!

Do you think this would work for my roller skates? I’m worried about getting glitter all over the skate floor. haha
But I’m definitely gonna have to try this! Thanks so much for posting, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.

This is SUCH a lovely tutorial! I just have one question, if you’d be willing to answer it. I REALLY love the style of the specific shoes you used in this tutorial, and I was wondering what brand they were? Thank you so much!!!

This post is awesome. It’s beyond perfect. It’s the next years’ worth – hell, the next two years’ worth – of my Saturday afternoons in 646 words! Marlena, you’re awesome and your shoes are so freaking badass I want to cover everything I own in glitter. Just one question, does this work with all shoes or just a few types of material?

Thanks, Ciara! <3
I think this would work for all types of shoes! There are some shoe types that work better than others, though. Fabric-covered shoes are best, but (p)leather shoes would also work just fine. Just make sure to rough them up with some sandpaper prior to painting the glitter on!

Hey, I know this might be a silly question, but do you need to make a new mixture (glue and glitter) each time you’re putting a layer on? I love this tutorial! I’m doing it tomorrow, I’ve been dreaming of Dorothy’s shoes for AGES

I don’t think you’ll need to worry about anything chipping off for a while. Mod podge is a permanent sealant and it helps keep all the glitter in place while coating the shoe in a protective, water-resistant layer. Your shoes should look good as new for quite some time. :)

I read this article and the tights article and decided it was time I started making DIY stuff. I didn’t find any tights at the thrift store, but I found an oversized nirvana tee! Here are how my projects turned out: